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Students cram into halls, some in 3s

By Dana Parker-McClain

Hundreds of Fresno State students felt the crunch of the on-campus housing demand last week as they moved into the campus residence halls.

During the 2002-2003 school year, the University Courtyard received more than 1,500 applications for student housing. As of Aug. 18, nearly 2,000 students had applied for student housing for the upcoming year.

Karen Johnson, director of student housing, attributed the demand to marketing. The University Courtyard Web site offers applications and information and the university supplies a list of students.

“ We don’t really turn students away,” Johnson said. “If a student applies, and we are full, we respond within 72 hours to tell them they are on a waiting list.”

The fire at the University Village, a three-story complex that was supposed to open this semester, left a hole in the housing market last spring, though Johnson said she doesn’t think a major demand for on-campus housing came from the incident.

About 95 percent of the students that applied at the Village had lived in on-campus housing before,” she said. The complex was destroyed in May, and Johnson said all the students displaced have found a place since then.

In light of the demand, housing staff has found ways to make do with limited resources.

“ This year there aren’t a lot of large single rooms,” Johnson said. “We’ve done what we could to create as many double rooms as possible.”

In some cases, making the most of space means placing three people to a room. There are 84 students in triple rooms, Johnson said.

“ We’ve asked students if they are willing to house another resident as a temporary situation,” she said. “For every month they displace a resident, we give them either $100 off housing costs or $100 in food services scrip.”

Taking a break from his moving day exploits, junior Danny Mascola described the surprise of being placed in a triple room.

“ I originally thought I was getting a double room, but they ended up putting me down for a triple,” he said. To deal with the situation, a roommate took the top bed off the bunk and put it in the living room. “We’ll see how it goes,” Mascola said. “The more, the merrier.”

For every student that moved in with ease, there are many who’ve faced more frustrating situations.

“ It was one thing after another. I was on the waiting list, then at the University Inn, then in temporary housing. I was assigned a room yesterday but they put me in the wrong room, so I had to move again today. It’s been stressful,” said freshman Erica Dicks.

Another way the housing demand is being offset is through an agreement to rent rooms from the Super 8 Motel near campus. “Before school ended in May this last year, I had a signed agreement with the Motel (now University Inn),” Johnson said.

University Inn residents tried to look on the bright side of their living situation.

“ I almost didn’t get in,” said freshman Steven Miller. “They told me living in the hotel is temporary. I guess it’s better then finding an apartment, but it’s kind of small.”

Brothers Michael and Chad Efird saw some good things about the hotel. “The University Inn rooms seem bigger than some of the dorm rooms, and you get the big beds,” said Chad.

Michael replied: “The maid service isn’t bad either.”